Last weekend, the Vienna Monarchs hosted the still-undefeated league leaders, SK Lacrosse Jižní Město, in a highly anticipated showdown. Despite a clear 8–29 defeat, the home team showed great fighting spirit and determination.
It was clear beforehand that the match against the Czech top team would be no easy task. Jižní Město delivered a strong and dominant performance as expected, controlled the game for long stretches, and demonstrated exactly why they sit at the top of the table.
Nevertheless, the Monarchs stood their ground bravely from the start. Especially in the early stages and for much of the second quarter, the Viennese defense managed to make some strong plays and launch quick counterattacks that were converted by the offense. However, as the game progressed, the guests' technical and physical superiority became increasingly apparent.
Even though the final score of 8–29 was a clear result, it doesn’t fully reflect the Monarchs’ performance. The team fought until the final whistle, never gave up, and kept creating chances despite the large deficit.
Both the coach and the team were disappointed with the result but also proud of the players’ attitude and effort. “It was the tough match we expected against what is probably the best team in the NBLL right now. The final score might be a bit too high – especially in the second quarter we had a stretch where everything clicked. We outplayed them on offense, played tough on defense, and got help from our Tenders. In the second half, we just ran out of legs a bit,” said team captain Adrian Balasch in a post-game interview.
For the Vienna Monarchs, the focus now is on learning from this match, taking the positives forward, and approaching the upcoming games with renewed energy.
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